Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues to Unveil New Child Care Bill
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined over three dozen lawmakers led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) in unveiling new legislation that would expand access to affordable child care to every American family, offer high-quality early education to every child, and create good jobs for our early educators. “Access to childcare is essential, both for the safe and healthy development of our kids, and because it allows parents the freedom to pursue their careers and contribute to the economy,” said Senator Smith. “But right now, childcare is too expensive and inaccessible for many families. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation which would ensure every family has access to high-quality, affordable childcare so that our kids, their parents, and our economy can reach their full potential.” Under the legislation, half of families nationwide would pay no more than $10 a day for child care, and all families would see their child care costs capped. Additionally, the bill would introduce a sliding scale system to ensure child care is significantly more affordable based on families’ income, similar to the U.S. military child care program. Lack of access to high-quality, affordable child care prevents parents from fully participating in the workforce, holding them back from career opportunities, making it hard for businesses to find workers, and placing a drag on our entire economy. Lack of affordable, high-quality care and early education also means many children in the U.S. start kindergarten without the skills they need
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Significant Federal Funding to Combat Homelessness in Greater Minnesota
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced over $1.6 million in federal funding aimed at helping communities in Greater Minnesota address homelessness. The first of its kind package is targeted at addressing unsheltered homelessness and homelessness in rural communities. The package of grants and vouchers will help provide people experiencing homelessness affordable, safe and decent housing in Greater Minnesota. “All Minnesotans deserve to have a stable roof over their heads, especially in the middle of a Minnesota winter,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This federal funding will help those experiencing homelessness access safe, dignified shelter and the support services they need.” “Without access to housing nothing else in your life works. Not your job, your health, your education or your family,” said Senator Smith, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development. “We know that housing issues have touched people in nearly every community across the country, with many families struggling to find a safe, decent and affordable place to live. These grants and vouchers will help give communities in Greater Minnesota the resources they need to improve living conditions for homeless Minnesotans. I applaud HUD for its innovative approach in directing resources specifically to Greater Minnesota and tackling unsheltered homelessness head on. ” These grants and vouchers, which are distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), are a first-of-its-kind package of resources specifically to help rural communities with homelessness and people in unsheltered settings. A nationwide total
Senator Tina Smith Urges Agriculture Department to Hear From Minnesotans as Part of Fight to Combat Opioid Epidemic
U.S. Senator Tina Smith is continuing her push to address the opioid epidemic by calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to host a rural opioid misuse roundtable in Minnesota. This comes after introducing a bill last week to help tribes across the country access the resources they need to address mental health and substance use disorders. Earlier this month, the USDA announced it will be holding a series of monthly meetings on opioids in Pennsylvania, Utah, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Maine. Sen. Smith understands the toll the opioid and drug overdose epidemic is having on families and rural communities across Minnesota, and that’s
Sen. Tina Smith Ramps up Workforce Development Efforts; Plans to Author Legislation after Gathering Minnesota Input
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced that over the next two weeks she will be traveling across the state to talk with Minnesotans about expanding workforce development opportunities. Sen. Smith said there are many good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree or taking on loads of student debt. At a series of upcoming meetings, she’ll talk about these jobs while also gathering input from students, community leaders, businesses, and local schools about addressing workforce preparedness issues like the “skills gap.” Once she gets back to Washington, Sen. Smith will author legislation—based on her meetings—to help as many Minnesotans as
Senator Tina Smith, Congressman Rick Nolan Introduce Legislation to Protect Minnesota Families in Rural Areas from Losing their Homes
U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.) have teamed up to support affordable housing for Minnesotans who live in rural areas. The Rural Housing Preservation Act, which the two lawmakers introduced this week, would help families, seniors, and people with disabilities who are at risk of losing rental assistance through the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Housing Service. The bill also gives communities more flexibility to maintain their existing affordable housing options. “As a leader of the rural development caucus, a top priority of mine is to help communities with issues like housing access,” said Senator Smith.“I’ve had
Sens. Tina Smith, Todd Young Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Shore up Public Health Emergency Prevention & Response
U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Todd Young (R-Ind.) have introduced their bipartisan Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act, which would improve public health preparedness by ensuring federal agencies advance a “One Health” approach—the idea that human and animal health are linked, and that they should be studied together to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. The bill would improve coordination among those studying animal and human health by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Agriculture Department (USDA) to adopt a One Health framework with other agencies. “Minnesota was hit by an avian flu outbreak a
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